Introduction To

Debate and
Building an
Effective
Argument
 Argument (argumentation)
• To take a side from a proposition-give the
audience FACTS.
• Intends to provide insight offers a verifiable
perspective for the audience
• Supports reasoning with valid evidence.
• Considers opposing viewpoints.
• Provides rationale to clarify/explain
relevance and validity of evidence.
 Persuade:
• To try to convince someone-try to change
their OPINION.
• Based on the writer’s opinion
• Attempts to influence the perspective of the
audience by appealing to their emotions,
sense of right and wrong or to sense of
identity.
• Selects facts and emotion to support opinion.
 Are we persuading?
• WE ARE NOT WRITING TO
PERSUADE!!!

• We will be speaking and riting to build

effective arguments.
 What Is Debate?
- Debate is a formal academic
competition in which students
argue both sides of a given topic.

- The foundation of debate is

speaking. Students deliver
speeches based on logic and
research, attempting to persuade a
judge to endorse their argument.
 Terminology for Debate and
Argumentative Writing
• Write these down on your hand-out.
 Debate:
• To argue both sides of a topic
 Fact:
• Something proven to be true.
 Opinion:
• A feeling or belief.
 Quote:
• To write exactly what someone said or
wrote.
 Resolve:
• Make a firm decision to do something.
 Proposition:
• A subject to be debated.
 Evidence:
• Facts and examples to prove
something.
• For on demand writing, quotes from the
passage/article.
• Give credit to author when you’re writing
with direct quotes OR…paraphrasing.
 Claim/Contention/Thesis:
• Claim: One side of an argument derived
from a proposition.
• Contention: A strong statement to
support one side of an argument.
 Affirmative side:
• Side that supports the proposition
 Negative side:
• Side that opposes the proposition.
 Affirmative vs. Negative
- The job of the Affirmative (Aff) is to prove that the
topic (resolution) is a good idea.

- The job of the Negative (Neg) is to prove that the topic

(resolution) is a bad idea.

- A judge will evaluate the debate and vote for whichever

team does a better job proving their point.

- Being an eloquent speaker helps, but debate has much

more to do with winning substantive arguments than with
oratory.

- Debaters use a combination of research, logic, and

strategy in order to persuade judges that they have won.
 Affirmative vs. Negative
- The core of debate is refutation. Debaters
both make their own arguments and are
respsonsible for responding to arguments
made by the other team. That is what
distinguishes debate from other speaking
contests.

- In order to adequately respond to the

arguments made by the opposing team,
debaters need to prove that their own
arguments are better reasoned, better
evidenced, have historical or empirical
support, or have greater significance.
 Oppose:
• To be against something.
 Counterclaim /
Counterargument
• An opposing argument or response to
your claim/argument of the proposition.
 Rebuttal:
• A response to a counterargument or
counterclaim
 Concede:
• To surrender or admit that someone
else is right or correct in their argument.